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Horror for Beginners: A Guide to Horror Reading Based on Your Go-To Genre

Posted by Cybil on September 29, 2025

Sadie Hartmann (known as Mother Horror on social media) is the co-owner of the monthly, curated, horror fiction subscription company Night Worms and the author of two books about the horror genre, the Bram Stoker Award–winning 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered and her latest, Feral & Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction. Goodreads asked Hartmann to recommend horror novels for you this Halloween season.

Readers already know what they enjoy. They have been discovering books for themselves since they could read, so I can safely assume they know what they like and don’t like.

So my method of recommending books for your Halloween reading prioritizes other readers’ interests above my own personal experience. The way I share my thoughts about a book intentionally minimizes judgment.

"Is this a good book or a bad book?" Well, that's up to you to decide. My job as a curator is to offer recommendations (books I have read) and suggestions (books I haven’t read…yet).

The following lists are books I recommend based on that criteria. I enjoyed them, and they fit the themes, vibes, tone, and tropes for each list. Your mileage may vary, so the intention of this article is to prioritize the book’s ability to satisfy the themes, tropes, vibes, and tone we’re looking for. It’s such a helpful way to talk about books.

Also, a little side note: I intentionally showcased some lesser-known titles instead of reaching for some of the more obvious choices, just in case you don’t see your favorite book here.

Horror for Fantasy Readers

Fantasy and horror have always shared a blurry border between the two genres. Common tropes and themes leech into each other filled with cursed forests, blood-soaked rituals, and secret magic. Fantasy builds worlds for its readers to escape into, while horror manipulates those worlds into something the reader must survive. These stories live in those dark in-between spaces. If you like your fantasy with teeth, you’re in the right place.

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

Horror for Romance Readers

Forget everything you’ve heard about romance and horror at odds with each other. It’s simply not true. In fact, the truth is they play very well together. Some of my favorite horror books are proof that love and fear are the two most powerful emotions in the world. Horromance hinges on high-stakes, risk, and vulnerability—the perfect elements of good horror. Whether it’s an ancient vampire luring prey through a velvet touch or a codependent relationship that won’t let go (even in death), this subgenre is where romance lovers can find couples joining together to fight for their lives and their love.

Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard (Amid the Vastness of All Else #6)

Horror for Sci-Fi Readers

Sci-fi and horror make a brutal, adventurous pairing—one allows the reader to explore the future and the unknown, while the other reminds us we might not survive the expedition. These stories dig into the dark psyche of ambitious innovation, science experiments gone horribly wrong, alien lifeforms who are always 10 steps ahead, and tech that turns on its makers. Horror exploits our natural inclination to be curious and sends us off on a mission destined to achieve a high body count; the unknown stops being a quest and starts becoming a viable threat.

Horror for Murder Mystery Readers

Murder mysteries are so entertaining because they challenge readers to solve a puzzle. If you combine murder mystery with horror, you might be afraid to solve it. These books start with a disappearance or a dead body, and the deeper you dig, the stranger it gets.
Maybe the clues don’t add up.
Maybe the narrator’s losing it or being unreliable.
I’m recommending whodunits with creeping dread, ghostly guides, and serious paranormal or supernatural tension layered into the already dynamic storytelling of an intricately plotted mystery.

Horror for Crime Thriller Readers

A little different than murder mysteries, crime thrillers start with familiar beats: a murder investigation, a missing person, or a home invasion—but ultimately lead the reader further than they want to go. Cults with eldritch agendas and ritualistic sacrifices, killers with paranormal abilities, protagonists who are always way out of their depth, and evil always seems to escape justice. In fact, survival might be the best you can hope for.

Horror for Gothic Readers

Gothic fiction and horror are lovers. They hold hands in the form of atmosphere, mood, and aesthetics. If you're a horror reader already drawn to crumbling mansions hidden in a thick layer of fog, dark family secrets, and heroines slowly unraveling under the pressure of the past, you’re ready to be immersed in gothic.These books are filled with dread, ghosts, generational trauma, and relentless opportunity for madness.

Horror for Historical Fiction Readers

You don’t need to hit the textbooks to learn history. Look no further than horror fiction. A diverse array of talented voices tell the stories of the oppressive patriarchy, the war on women during the witch trials, and colonial violence. Fiction can seek out the weight of inherited trauma, the power of folklore, and all the buried secrets history tries to forget. The past isn’t done with us yet. We have so much more to learn. This is my favorite subgenre lately, so it’s quite full.

The Butcher's Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett

Creatures of Will and Temper (Diabolist's Library, #1)

Horror for Literary Fiction Readers

The other day, someone on social media asked for the “real” lit fic, the stuff that hits hard. I told them to venture out into the horror genre, specifically books that explore what it means to be human. Horror is really good at sharpening that focus through the lens of fear. It strips characters down to their rawest selves and forces them to confront everything they’ve been hiding behind a functional mask. These stories are intimate, unsettling, and hard to shake. They don’t rely on jump scares—they haunt through scalpel-sharp prose, heavy themes, and the quiet unraveling of self.

To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place (Amid the Vastness of All Else #4)

Horror for Nonfiction Readers

Nonfiction books about a niche topic are important tools to expand your knowledge and generate thought-provoking insight into your newfound passion. The following books can be used as guides to discover more horror books and movies, resource material to further develop your understanding of the history and influences, and maybe most importantly, a way to connect to the community of horror lovers at large through a shared, expressed experience with the horror genre. These are valuable books.

101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered

Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women

Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction

Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature

America’s Most Gothic: Haunted History Stranger Than Fiction

The Science of Monsters: The Truth about Zombies, Witches, Werewolves, Vampires, and Other Legendary Creatures

Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold on Us

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You're Too Scared to Watch (The Outsider's Guides)

Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction

Check out more horror recommendations:

Terrifyingly Good Horror Hits from the Past Decade

Halloween Reading Recommendations by Themes, Tropes & Settings

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